Silver Lake man completes cross-country bicycle ride

Courtesy Daron Dean | HerbalifeTom and Becky Rickhoff, both 66, of Silver Lake, celebrate the conclusion of Tom's bicycle trip across the United States on November 12, 2010. He began the trip on September 7, in Santa Monica, California and finished in St. Augustine, Florida on November 12. HIs wife, Becky followed in a vehicle. The Rickhoffs are collecting money for Herbalife, a foundation that provides nutritious food for children in developing countries. "We decided we wanted a purpose with the ride," Becky Rickhoff said.

WEST MICHIGAN — At an age when many people are looking into knee replacements, a Silver Lake man decided to cross the U.S. from sea to shining sea.

Tom Rickhoff, 66, recently retired from Hewlett-Packard in Grand Rapids and knew he wanted to stay active. He bicycled across the country for 47 days, with his wife Becky, also 66, driving a camper to scout out campsites.

In addition to staying fit, the Rickhoffs are collecting money for the Herbalife Family Foundation, which provides nutritious food for children in developing countries.

“We decided we wanted a purpose with the ride,” Becky Rickhoff said.

Tom Rickhoff said he had ridden a stationary bike in his basement for years, but only bought a rolling bike after he decided to make the trip.

They started driving to Santa Monica, Calif., in August, to visit their son who lives there before setting off Sept. 7.

They rolled into St. Augustine, Fla., Nov. 12 to end the biking journey.

He rode and Becky drove five days per week, and they took breaks for sightseeing and church on the weekends.

She dropped him off in the morning at the spot were she had picked him up the night before.
Becky Rickhoff said she used the extra time waiting for her husband to catch up to find things for them to do on the weekends.

“There were lots of things to do, and I had time to stop and take pictures,” she said.

Challenging days

Tom Rickhoff averaged 68 miles per day. His longest ride was 112 miles on a day when the two lost contact because they were riding through an area without cell phone coverage.

They had their share of challenges on the way.

Becky Rickhoff’s mother fell and broke her hip when the couple was passing through Texas. Becky flew home to spend a week caring for her mother, and Tom stayed in
San Antonio until she returned.

Tom Rickhoff said he had four flat tires over the course of the journey. The second time, he tried to fix the flat, rode about 10 minutes, and had to pump up the tire again, repeating the cycle until he reached the end of the day’s ride.

“I enjoyed the challenge of it, but my chest muscles were sore,” he said.
There were good times too, including Becky Rickhoff’s birthday in New Orleans. The couple posted photos and updates about the journey on a Facebook page, titled Bicycling Across USA.

Tom Rickhoff said the weather generally cooperated, with only one very rainy day. When he started riding through the Southwest in September, temperatures still were hitting 110 degrees, he said, and he would try to find desert bushes for a little shade.

“I started in the beginning looking for shade and in the end I was looking for sunlight to get warm,” he said.

Heading home

Now the two are on their way back to Michigan. They don’t plan to take another
transcontinental ride, but they’re considering shorter bike rides they could take
together along the East and West coasts.